The second segment of downloadable content for Trials Fusion is now with us. Will Empire of the Sky tempt us back for more bike action?
Yes it should, for this is one decent addon that any self respecting rider should jump straight on.
Whilst the first piece of Trials Fusion content saw us take to the backstreets of the Rustlands, Empire of the Sky throws us back into the gleaming world that Trials riders will know and love, just this time with a few sexy little additions.
As before, there are eight new tracks split in the exact same way as the Riders of the Rustlands content did a few week back. That means we’ll get three new medium tracks, a couple of slightly harder ones and one of those extreme killers that only the top riders will get to experience. Additionally, there’s another medium skilled FMX track hitting home and a Skills Game that is fairly decent in itself.
Looking at the tracks themselves, yet again the vast majority of my time has been spent on the middle of the road levels. ‘Gone Clubbin’ is a quick blast back into the gleaming world of Fusion with no sign of the junkyards found in the previous DLC. It can be completed in around 40 seconds and so lends itself brilliantly to being one of those tracks you can hit when you have limited time available. ‘Eden’ then takes you into, and out of again, a world of flowers taking you on a journey through an attractive setting prior to taking on ‘Stratosphere’, the first track to bring Empire of the Sky’s main attraction….antigravity. There’s a real sense of change hitting Trials when you blast through the doors for the first time and experience a bit of space walking….Trials Fusion style!
Unfortunately, it doesn’t last anywhere near long enough and is over before you know it.
An even stranger thing is that the two hard tracks which next greet you see less of it again. Whilst I can’t admit to being able to complete the first of the more difficult levels, what I’ve seen in ‘Winter Getaway’ brings a snow filled level that quickly escalates into a full on blizzard where the bunny hop is king, it’s a little disappointing to see no sign of the antigravity sections present in ‘The Substratum’, the second, but much less challenging of the hard levels.
That of course leaves the only extreme track ‘Way of the Machine’ to conquer and as is the case with every single extreme track I’ve ever attempted, it’s waaaay past my skill level.
We do of course have the FMX track and ‘High Society’ is a cracking tricks track that brings the anti gravitational physics back into play with a bang. After being shot up into the air for miles, you get two solitary minutes to combine wheelies, tricks and superstar poses all whilst flying through the air with little sign of a gravitational pull throwing you back down to earth. It’s easily the most fun I’ve ever had on Trials Fusion and is worth the entrance fee alone.
Finally, the Skills Game this time sees you navigating your way across constantly falling and evolving platforms, where one slight pause ends in death. ‘Freefall’ is all about rider positioning and whilst it’s simple enough to earn a decent medal eventually, you’ll find plenty of practice is required beforehand. Precision is indeed king this time round.
If you’re one of those who like to spend many an hour creating and perfecting your own courses, you’ll be pleased to hear the the anti-gravity toys are in abundance in the editor, with force fields, resort homes and the floating platforms you find in ‘Freefall’ all present and available for you to abuse.
Empire of the Sky also comes with five new achievements totalling 200 gamerscore and cheevo hunters will be more than happy with what is on offer. Whilst completing all the tracks will see 100G dropped to only the best riders, the other four point scorers on offer are more than achievable and at the very least bring a decent level of replayability once you’re bored with trying to beat your mates times.
If you don’t own the Trials Fusion Season Pass and have only £4 to spend on a content pack, then I’d advise checking Empire of the Sky out before its predecessor. Not only are the tracks more fun, but they are also more accessible to the lower skilled player, bringing slightly less frustration and a whole load more joy than Riders of the Rustlands did before it.
In space, noone can hear you fail…….thankfully!
